Zero user interface computing platforms have become increasingly popular in today's business environment. Instead of relying on clicking, typing and/or tapping, businesses can provide a more efficient interactive environment in which users are encouraged to input information to a computing device by means of voice and gestures, and to receive information from the computing device via loudspeaker or other auditory means. Statistics show that about 30% of human interactions with computers within the next two years will be voice-based. Microsoft Kinect™, Nest™ thermostats, and Amazon Echo™ are just a few popular examples of zero user interface devices. Amazon describes its Echo™ system as a hands-free speaker a user controls with his or her voice. Connected to the Internet and powered by Amazon's Alexa™ software, Amazon Echo™ does more than just play music. Starting with built-in capabilities called Skills, users can hire a car service, order pizza, get the weather report, and control smart homes through the Echo™ system. Generally, a zero user interface environment features user interfaces that are not constrained by screens, and instead encourage human-device interactions in more natural ways including haptic, computer vision, voice control, and artificial intelligence. One of the advantages of zero user interface computing platforms is that they allow users to interface with devices in a manner that is more human. At its extreme, a zero user interface computing environment implies a screen-less, invisible user interface where natural gestures trigger interactions, as if the user is communicating to another person.
In view of the rapid growth of zero user interface computing platforms, a growing concern involves the ability to securely transmit sensitive information to users and receive sensitive information from users without allowing the information to be overheard or otherwise intercepted by other parties—which would jeopardize the security of the system. For example, many zero user interface devices are configured to read data out loud or require the user to input data by voice, and such devices are not an effective or secure way of communicating sensitive information.